“. . . Children takes its readers on a visual trek across the globe, where they discover that — despite our different clothes and homes and languages — we are more alike than different”

— Caryl Stern, President & CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF

The Barefoot Book of Children

Written by Tessa Strickland and Kate DePalma Illustrated by David Dean

Empower tomorrow's global citizens to grasp today's critical social issues with The Barefoot Book of Children. Hand-painted illustrations and straightforward text directly engage the reader, inviting children to ask themselves: How do other children live? How are we different? And most importantly: How are we alike? The Barefoot Book of Children is a playful, powerful and thought-provoking celebration of both the big ideas and the everyday moments that reveal our common humanity and tie us all together.

Ages 3 – 1064pp 10 x 11¾ INHARDCOVER9781782852964

$19.99 USD

Ignites curiosity about diverse lifestyles and cultures

The stunning artwork by bestselling Barefoot Books World Atlas illustrator David Dean entices young readers to pore over the detailed illustrations and 15 pages of informational endnotes.

Accommodates a range of literacy levels

By addressing the reader directly, the simple text prompts caretaker-child interaction, while empowering independent readers to consider the social issues on their own.

Indispensable for raising global citizens

The creative team worked with diversity, inclusivity and early childhood specialists to accurately portray a wide range of shapes, sizes, races, abilities and lifestyles from countries and cultures all over the world.

Timely and topical

With campaigns like #WeNeedDiverseBooks and #1000BlackGirlBooks gaining ground, The Barefoot Book of Children facilitates important conversations with children about diversity and inclusivity.

Kate DePalma was born and raised outside Nashville, TN, USA. As a child, she enjoyed wholesome activities like making up stories and catching crawdads almost as much as she enjoyed dressing up like Whitney Houston to go with her mom to the grocery store. As Senior Editor at Barefoot Books, she has helped develop dozens of picture books; Kate also writes picture books under her pseudonym, Sunny Scribens. She holds an M.A. in Classics from the University of Texas and is also a published poet and scholar. Kate lives with her husband and daughter, and is still a chatterbox with a wild imagination.

Tessa Strickland was brought up in rural north England, the second of five children, frequently exploring the local woods and fields on her pony. Tessa co-founded Barefoot Books with Nancy Traversy in the early 1990s, and has gone on to create many highly acclaimed children’s books, including the numerous books she has written as Stella Blackstone. She is also mother to three adult children, a yoga practitioner and a licensed psychotherapist. Tessa now lives and works in Somerset, southwest England, where she no longer has a pony but makes up for it by owning a handsome black-and-white rocking horse.

“A lyrical exploration of humankind that strikes a lovely balance between celebrating individuality while recognizing the rewards of community” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“More than just an exploration of our commonalities, The Barefoot Book of Children is an affirmation of our inherent dignity as human beings” — Caryl Stern, President & CEO, U. S. Fund for UNICEF

“Definitely add this to the mix to create interested world citizens” — Kirkus Reviews

“Things like individuality and belonging, uniqueness and commonality, diversity and acceptance are communicated in a way that children enjoy and understand... Each colorfully illustrated pair of pages is like a story unto itself, so much so that children tend to linger to take it all in”— Tillywig Toy & Media Awards

“Unlike other books about global diversity, this title focuses on common elements of humanity, without first assigning them a label... [T]he artwork is filled with details that will bring new discoveries with every reading. This is an ambitious book that succeeds in capturing all manner of diversity of the human species”— Booklist

“VERDICT: An excellent introduction to cultural diversity for public and school libraries and elementary classrooms. Perfect for geography and social studies lessons”— School Library Journal

“I feel the world becomes a better place for each child who reads [The Barefoot Book of Children] or has it read to them”— Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web

“The Barefoot Book of Children is globally inclusive and shows us that, whether we are in Boston, U.S.; or Katmandu, Nepal; or Maseru, Lesotho; our lives are similar yet different... Congratulations to the authors for passing a timely, important message in a picturesque, playful yet compelling manner”— Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Executive Vice-President, Clinton Health Access Initiative

“The more I look through The Barefoot Book of Children, the more I love it... I'm going to keep The Barefoot Book of Children in a prominent spot, to encourage wonder and imagination that will know no boundaries”— Homa Sabet Tavangar, Global Education Author / Advisor

“I love how inclusive this book is! I'm excited to use it to engage my daughter in age-appropriate conversations about diversity and to help her make connections between her own experiences and what she sees in the book and ultimately, the rest of the world. Thank you, Barefoot, for publishing such a fabulous and much needed children’s book!”— Nancy Yue, Raising A Reader, National Office

“I have never seen a book encompass the rich tapestry of humanity the way this one does. It represents virtually every skin tone, dozens of world cultures, various disabilities, transracial families, military families, foster families, and gay and lesbian families"— Shannon Evans, A Great Parade

“The Barefoot Book of Children is what every library, every school, in my [New York City] borough should be reading and making available to the kids we serve, because every child here will see themselves in this book”— Rosemary Kiladitis, Children's and Academic Librarian

“With all the negative discourse going in the world right now (particularly right now), I’ve been on the lookout for positive things that make me and my children feel better...Call me a sappy child of the ’70s, but by the time I was done reading [The Barefoot Book of Children], I was singing, 'I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.'”— Georgette Gilmore, Cool Mom Picks

“The Barefoot Book of Children would make a special gift for any educator or parent wanting to nurture the seed of loving kindness and empathy in children.”— Plenty Magazine

“The Barefoot Book of Children is an amazing new release, bound to become a timeless classic...a must-have for every diverse children’s bookshelf!”— Colours of Us

“The Barefoot Book of Children is an absolute joy of a book and a clear favourite. I would urge any parent or teacher to add it to their collection”— Rachel McClary, Early Education Consultant

“...a fantastic way to teach children empathy, and let them know that how they live, is just one way among many – not right, not wrong, just different. In many ways, The Barefoot Book of Children really illustrates that while we are seemingly different in how we do many things – we really are all very similar.”— Tara Richter, Feisty, Frugal & Fabulous

“The Barefoot Book of Children presents page after page of opportunities for learning, reflection, and discussion — a must have for globally-minded families everywhere” — Mary Grace Otis, Host, The Global Mom Show Podcast

“We simply could not get enough of this book! Such a great way to show kids how similar they are no matter how they differ. The illustrations are gorgeous and depict the diversity and similarities in us all, young and old. ” — Angela Addington, Mom-Spot.com

“A smartly written and beautifully illustrated hardcover that will delight kids from 3 to 9... This book helps children understand how other kids live — how they’re different in looks or family or food choice but also how they’re alike (really a key to saving the world).” — Joe Amarante, the New Haven Register

“The Barefoot Book of Children is one of the best children’s books I have seen in a long time. The beautiful hand-painted illustrations, the important message it shares, and the fascinating facts about children around the world make it a book to be enjoyed over and over again.”— Globe Trottin' Kids

“We can use this book as a springboard to tackle more difficult or controversial subjects like differing family structures, faith, race, disabilities, etc. Now, especially, I’ve seen parents worrying and looking for ways to broach these subjects with their kids. I would highly recommend that those parents consider getting this book TODAY to help. ”— Claire Hardee, Two And Three Quarters

“Everything is special in this book. I think this is great for you to read. Readers who are children themselves and love other children will enjoy this book.”— Susan Faith, Age 8, Kids' Book Buzz

“We cannot ignore our children. As parents and teachers, we should take care to give them the knowledge that would help them survive in the world, especially the modern world of the 2000s. Tessa Strickland’s and Kate DePalma’s The Barefoot Book of Children brings some of these pressing issues to our attention.”— Julia Prilepina, What is That Book About

“...a book that I would love to see in very single home! This beautifully illustrated book is the perfect example of why I believe every home needs multicultural books. The book emphasizes the richness of being both different and the same"— Mama Smiles

“I love this book. It’s the perfect introduction to a year of learning about other cultures and people... Seriously, the book just makes us feel special” — Kids' Travel Book

“[An] essential read, especially for schools and preschools... A great way to visually present and talk about diversity and inclusion” — Kitaab World

“[A]s I was reading the book with my daughter, I realized that we were going to spend a LOT of time reading this book. The illustrations alone were enough to spend a few minutes on each page” — Deana Metzke, Raising Readers

“This gorgeously illustrated picture book takes kids on a detailed and fascinating journey, introducing readers to cultures from all over the world and celebrating people’s differences” — Lisa Cohn, Roving Reader Leaders

“...fresh, versatile and appealing for children... The Barefoot Book of Children is a thought-provoking book that explores the why of our situation and helps children discover how they are more alike than different” — Patricia Tilton, Children's Books Heal

“My girls (3, 7 & 9) were so excited to open up this book and start reading! There is so much to look at – they find something new each time they read it... 10 out of 10 stars!” — Beth Hardinger